iFixit says it removed its teardown of Samsung’s troubled Galaxy Fold device at the Korean company’s request.
The website’s teardown revealed that Samsung may have failed to include sufficient protection against debris between the device’s OLED screen and chassis bezel. iFixit removed the article after Samsung retrieved all units sent to reviewers. Many reviews noted that the pricey $1,980 handset suffered serious screen problems.
In a statement, iFixit said:
“After two days of intense public interest, iFixit has removed our teardown of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. That analysis supported our suspicions that the device provided insufficient protection from debris damaging the screen.
We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove its teardown. We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail.
Our team appreciated the chance to look inside this ambitious device. All new products face challenges—this one perhaps more than most. We’re grateful to have shared a glimpse of how Samsung’s engineers addressed some of those challenges, and we look forward to sharing more as soon as possible.”
What happens next?
Samsung recently delayed the release of the Galaxy Fold. The company said it plans to announce a new release date “in the coming weeks.” While this isn’t close to the debacle of Samsung’s exploding Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, it’s still an embarrassing incident for the South Korean tech giant.
Debuting a folding smartphone was supposed to show just how far Samsung was ahead of its competitors. Instead, it looks like it rushed to release a product that wasn’t ready. Reviewers of the device noted that the company’s execution did not live up to its potential.
Are you excited at the possibility of a folding smartphone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
